Old Fashioned German Cheesecake Recipes

By Griselda M., last updated on May 19, 2022

The Old Fashioned German Cheesecake Recipes are insanely delicious! If you’re looking for creaminess and cheesiness, you’re in the right place. Print the recipes and be happier than yesterday!

In this post, we are going to talk about the differences, we’ll also give you some interesting information about them. Keep reading and enjoy the details below.

Old Fashioned German Cheesecake

Our protagonist: The Old Fashioned German Cheesecake has quite a few differences from the other cheesecake styles out there. Here are a few important facts about it before you make it.

Important Facts

Fact #1: German Ingredients

This cheesecake is made with original German ingredients like quark, vanilla pudding powder, and vanilla sugar. But don’t worry, we’ll tell you how to replace them perfectly.

Fact #2: Pie Crust

Its crust is shortbread-like, it perfectly matches its flavor. But yes, you can also replace it with a graham cracker base if you like.

Fact #3: Taste

Its taste is similar to the original American cheesecake.

Fact #4: Texture

It has a lighter and fluffier texture than American cheesecake. The reason comes from using quark instead of cream cheese or other cheese types.

If you can’t find a quark, keep reading and you’ll find an extra recipe to learn how to make your own. If not, you can easily replace it with cottage or ricotta.

Fact #5: Separating the eggs

One of its secrets is to separate the egg whites. These are whisked to form a foam that is folded into the filling to give it a slightly fluffy consistency. Thus the result is a cloudy-like cheesecake texture.

Interesting, isn’t it? In addition, we will give you all of the substitute options in case you don’t find the German ingredients near you.

What Is German Quark?

Quark is a dairy product made from buttermilk or normal milk. Is a type of creamy cheese that can be very versatile. It can easily be compared with ricotta or cottage. Moreover, you can eat it on its own, with fruit, or use it in a recipe.

Käsekuchen: Old Fashioned German Cheesecake

Käsekuchen means Cheesecake in German. Its history is a bit murky, but we know it’s been around since at least the 1600s. There’s also another variation, the Käsekuchen Torte, which has cream and gelatin. Being this the no-bake version of it.

Ready to print the recipe? Here you have it!

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 125 g butter
• 30 g sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2-3 tbsp water
• pinch of salt

For the Filling

• 750 g quark regular
• 60 g melted butter unsalted
• 125 g sugar
• 9 g vanilla sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 43 g vanilla pudding powder 1 package
• 1 lemon zest and its juice
• pinch of salt
• Whipped cream and berries to garnish

Step by Step To Make Käsekuchen: Old Fashioned German Cheesecake

Making the Crust

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, and melted butter.
2. Add the egg yolks and the water to the mixture. Then knead with your hands until the dough gets smooth.
3. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
5. Grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter.
6. Get your dough, roll it out and press it into the springform pan bottom.
7. Bake for 10 minutes and make your filling in the meantime.

Filling

1. In a large mixing bowl, put the quark, sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, zest, vanilla sugar, vanilla pudding powder, and salt.
2. Mix until combined and then, add the melted butter at the end.
3. Beat the egg whites separately, until stiff peaks. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
4. Using a spatula, carefully fold your eggs whites foam into the quark mixture until fully incorporated. Be patient.
5. Pour this into your springform pan and bake for 50 minutes, until the top gets lighly browned.
6. Turn off the oven, leave the cheesecake inside, and the door open. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
7. Gently remove the cheesecake from the oven. Don’t forget to run a knife around the edge before opening the pan.
8. Let it cool at room temperature. Once completely cool, refrigerate for 2 hours.
9. Garnish with whipped cream and berries before serving and enjoy!

NOTES

Substitutes:

1. Quark for ricotta or cottage cheese.
2. You can also make a graham cracker base.
3. If you can’t find the pudding, try using pudding mix from Jell-O.
4. Also, add a little more vanilla extract in case you don’t find the vanilla sugar.
5. Or… Make your own quark!

This extra recipe yields about 2 cups of quark. Try it out!

Make your Own Quark

It’s actually super easy to make! This recipe yields about 2 cups of quark, all you need is patience and determination. Try it out!

Ingredients

• 2 quarts of buttermilk
• 1 tbs of citric acid -or 2 tbsp of lemon juice-

Step-by-Step

Step #1: Heat it up

In a large saucepan, pour the buttermilk, monitor the temperature with a thermometer up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Then immediately remove from the heat.

Step #2: Acidify

Add the citric acid or the lemon juice and stir. Mix well and set it aside for 20 minutes.

Step #3: Strain

With a cheesecloth or thin towel strain the cheese from the whey. Let it drain in the refrigerator for 2 to 12 hours. Keep checking thickness until desired texture.

Final Words

You can find German products online here at Amazon, the name of the brand is Dr. Oetker. I had also seen some of them at a supermarket, you should take a look at the nearest one.

I once found the vanilla pudding mix package at Walmart. And quark can be found at Wholes Foods.

Hope you can find them, let us know if you did, and enjoy the recipe!

Learn more about How Many Calories Is A Slice Of Cheesecake